Webb postpones filing of case against Alfaro

MANILA, Philippines -  The camp of Hubert Webb yesterday decided to postpone the filing of false testimony case against star witness Jessica Alfaro after Lauro Vizconde petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) anew to reconsider the acquittal of Webb and six others in the killing of his wife and two daughters in 1991.

Webb’s counsel lawyer Demetrio Custodio told The STAR they will weigh their options if their camp will await the court’s decision before they lodge the complaint.

Demetrio earlier said they will sue Alfaro for allegedly offering a false testimony against Webb in the 1991 Vizconde massacre case. 

“Had it not been for Alfaro’s testimony, Webb and his co-accused would not be placed behind bars,” he said. 

Under Rule 180 of the Revised Penal Code, Alfaro can face six to 12 years imprisonment because Parañaque Judge Amelita Tolentino convicted the accused to suffer life sentence.

Tolentino’s decision was upheld in the Court of Appeals but was reversed by the SC last December.

Alfaro testified that it was Webb, a son of a former lawmaker, and five other scions of wealthy families were behind the brutal murder of Estrella Vizconde and her daughters Carmela and Jennifer in their house in BF Homes in Parañaque City in 1991. She also claimed that Webb raped Carmela before she was stabbed to death.

She testified that former policeman Gerardo Biong, allegedly upon Webb’s order, cleaned up the pieces of evidence.

Lauro, in a separate phone interview, welcomed Webb’s action but dared him to file a case against him too.

“Like Alfaro, I believe that they are guilty of killing my family,” Vizconde said.

He said he lost connection with Alfaro since the court gave its ruling last December and does not know where to reach her so she could give her side.

Custodio, meanwhile, said that even if Alfaro is not in the country, her absence is not a problem as under the law they are only required to mail the complaint to her last known address.

Aside from Alfaro, the Webb family’s laundrywoman and a village security guard also testified seeing Webb on the same date the victims were murdered but they were not included in Webb’s complaint.

Webb has repeatedly denied the accusations and said he was in the United States at the time of the massacre.